- Published: 05/10/2023
- ISBN: 9781783787067
- Granta Books
- 368 pages
A Book of Noises
Caspar Henderson
Sound shapes our world in invisible but profound ways, and here Caspar Henderson brings his characteristic curiosity, knowledge and sense of wonder to the subject to take us on an exhilarating journey through the heard universe.
A Book of Noises gathers together sounds from the cosmos, the natural world, the human world, and the invented world, and contains quiet pockets of silence. From the vast sound of sand in the desert to the tuneful warble of a songbird, to the meditative resonance of a temple bell and the improvisational melodies of jazz, this is a celebration of all things auricular.
£16.99
Henderson's taste in music is gloriously eclectic... Every page in this book has a fact or observation that trills in me and thrills me. Henderson could, I think write on anything: it is not the data he imparts but the glee with which he does so that enthralls
Stuart Kelly, Scotsman
Irresistible... You could read the book for the sheer cascade of facts it offers, but it has a tender, lyrical quality, which at points makes the writing sing... [A] rich and lovely book
James McConnachie, The Sunday Times
A pursuit of auditory wonders - a paean to the act of listening and a salute to silence... Ransacking A Book of Noises affords hours of listening pleasure... Readers can and should take their time. It will be time well spent
Simon Ings, Spectator
From the Same Author
Caspar Henderson on Granta.com
Essays & Memoir | Granta 162
The Golden Record
Caspar Henderson
‘The two copies of the Golden Record were shot into space nearly fifty years ago.’
Caspar Henderson on music sent into space by NASA.
Essays & Memoir | Granta 162
Running
Caspar Henderson
‘Often, a road is the least interesting path to follow.’
Essays & Memoir | Granta 162
Barely Imagined Beings
Caspar Henderson
‘Monsters of one kind or another are woven into virtually all the cultures of which we have record.’
